I wish to have a tree house 

James, Age 3, New Zealand
A shiny new tree house and trampoline have pride of place in James’ yard. The three-year-old has acute lymphoblastic leukemia – the most common type of leukemia in children – and was surprised with the tree hut and trampoline by Make-A-Wish New Zealand.

Mum Alison says the family asked for a tree hut because James spends a lot of time at home and needs more to do. But to the family’s surprise the gift was more than just a tree hut. Make-A-Wish also gave James the trampoline and shouted him a party with children’s entertainers The Funky Monkeys.

Mrs. Slyfield says the tree hut was built at their Meadowbank home while James was at his grandparents’ place. When he came home on Saturday the new equipment was waiting for him.

"We told him on Friday that we had a surprise for him, but that he had to wait until the next day to get it,” said James’ mum, Alison. "We drove in the driveway on Saturday and he said: ‘Where did that trampoline come from, mummy?’ The lounge was full of people and we went out the back to where the tree hut was." He went quiet for about five to 10 minutes while he took it all in. Then he got right into it!" Mrs. Slyfield says the performance by The Funky Monkeys was a huge hit.

James was diagnosed with leukemia on August 24 last year after what Mrs. Slyfield says was a "really bad winter with colds". "His were topped with temperatures and we couldn’t figure out why.” James is at Starship hospital’s oncology unit most weeks. He must undergo a year of intensive chemotherapy before two years of maintenance chemotherapy. The survival rate for this type of cancer is 90 percent, but Mrs. Slyfield says: "In our eyes it’s 100 percent."

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